COMMENTARY: Inadequate planning will worsen Neponset bottleneck

Wednesday

Mar 31, 2010 at 12:01 AMMar 31, 2010 at 1:04 AM

The Ledger’s March 25 article “Neponset bridge plans raise fears” must raise an alarm, not only in Quincy, but also in all South Shore coastal towns where commuters use Route 3A to drive to Boston for work, medical and school appointments that are not easily reached by mass transit.

The bridge, in spite of the new coastal transit investments in commuter rail and ferries, is still the worst traffic bottleneck on the South Shore at rush hour.

I have two questions:

Where will the traffic go?

Will the repair project improve access to the Southeast Expressway?

It is important to repair bridges and highways, and invest in these long-neglected projects.

However, unless there is a plan in place to ensure adequate alternative routes, and attractive alternative transit options, the negative impact of this construction super-bottleneck on the Neponset Bridge will be impossible to endure.

And, if there is no improvement to Expressway access at the end of the two-year construction period, then a great opportunity will have been lost.

The potential impact of the Neponset Bridge project recalls another road construction period that negatively affected South Shore commuters. This was when the entire Southeast Expressway was reconstructed in 1984.

Here, however, there was preparation. Rather than just anticipating “this is going to be some major traffic impact…” and doing nothing, the highway department then had a full-scale plan of transportation alternatives in place before the construction began.

In 1984 the department knew how many commuters it wanted to get off the expressway and created a set of transit alternatives.

Briefings were held in various locations to get commuters and elected officials on board.

Among other initiatives, the state highway department added transit services. This included additional frequency and parking for private bus services and the Hingham ferry service, and increased commuter rail service on already existing lines. (There was no HOV lane, Quincy ferry, nor Plymouth or Greenbush commuter rail then.)

Parallel route highway construction was delayed temporarily so that the alternative driving routes to Boston would remain open.

An expressway lane management program worked extremely well. The Hingham ferry grew so fast during this period, that it continued with its increased frequency to the point where there were almost 2,000 cars parking in the Hingham Shipyard lot in recent years.

What can be done to divert riders from their automobiles today? Now there is more commuter rail, and now there are more ferries.

Unfortunately, increases in transit parking fees and services have discouraged many from taking these transit alternatives. There cannot be an increase in frequency on commuter rail because of the limited capacity of the track in Braintree. There can be an increase in ferry frequency and services from Hull, Hingham and Quincy. Perhaps shuttle vans can be added at the Boston ferry terminals to Back Bay locations.

There could be a decrease in parking fees and transit fees for the duration of construction for targeted transit services. There could be a return of private bus services from South Shore park-and-ride lots to Boston’s Back Bay using the HOV lane. What about increased frequency on the Red Line?

There must be a plan in place to divert traffic to roadways that can accommodate it, where construction is delayed for the duration of the Neponset work.

There could be work with Boston employers to encourage staggered work hours, if necessary, and a strong information campaign.

A new unified transportation agency is at work for the commonwealth.

Are the transit, private carrier, and highway sections working together to make the Neponset Bridge construction compatible with the daily transportation scenario?

Acceptable transit alternatives to highway construction projects can be reimbursed by federal funds.

Let us hope a plan is in the works. I look forward to our elected officials’ intense scrutiny of this program as it goes forward.

Martha A. R. Bewick lives in Hingham. She was associate commissioner for highway construction from the South Shore for the state Highway Department from 1981-1987, and oversaw this program for the commission.

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